Young Mr. Lincoln

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steve d Fantastic biopic about a little-known part of Abe's life. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Henry Fonda's Lincoln is earnest, thoughtful and a terrific antidote to today's political climate. If you want to remember what being American is supposed to mean, while still seeing all of the raw mob mentality that our freedoms can sometimes bring out, rent this timeless classic. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/09/23 Full Review Julia M Released in 1939, Young Mr. Lincoln has never received the same level of attention as a number of other films of that year. Yet in its own quiet way Young Mr. Lincoln is as great a masterpiece as The Wizard of Oz, Gone With the Wind, Wuthering Heights, or Stagecoach. With Henry Fonda in the title role, the film is a character study of a young man who opts to learn the law and work within its limits to make a better world. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/28/19 Full Review Ed M Fonda's a legend but the movie is just okay. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 12/07/18 Full Review Audience Member Young Mr. Lincoln is a biopic that pulls a surprising bait-and-switch. In the early scenes I got the impression this would be taking a large scope look at the entire early life and career of Lincoln, possibly right up into his time as president. However, it hits this one event and slowed down all of the sudden. I started to wonder why the movie was spending so long on this one fight and the death that resulted from it. Little did I know, this was going to be the focus of the rest of the film. In fact, Young Mr. Lincoln is less of a biopic and more of a legal drama. I’m always excited about courtroom dramas, so this was not a disappointment to me. I found it engaging to see how informal small-town justice might have been at the time. The movie did a good job of balancing that quaint tone with the weight of a death and potential lynching. Henry Fonda was an odd casting choice for Abraham Lincoln, because he acts shy and unassuming. He’s almost too polite and well-mannered to the point that the movie seems to be idolizing him, which makes it feel a bit less honest and real. I think the humble portrayal worked for the story they were telling in this movie, but he certainly didn’t strike me as the impressive presence I picture when reading about the 16th president. The facts of the case aren’t all that mysterious or hard to figure out. The way the trial ends is predictable, and a little ridiculous because of how it lacked proper procedures. It’s also a tiny bit unsatisfying because there’s still more story that needs to be told about how justice will be served in this murder. I did enjoy Young Mr. Lincoln, but it wasn’t as thrilling as I was hoping, particularly because it focuses on a character that I find so fascinating. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 05/10/18 Full Review Audience Member Early Fonda doesn't do it for me. And this is a slow drag with little point. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 12/26/17 Full Review Read all reviews

Young Mr. Lincoln

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